For Uganda’s Africa Men’s Sevens Championship campaign, things took a turn for the worse mere days before they were scheduled to compete. Slated to take place in Mauritius this June 9-11, the 2026 Africa Men’s Sevens Championship would have seen Africa’s best six-a-side sides compete for supremacy on the continent. Uganda would have liked to be one of them. Instead, they found themselves barred from entering Mauritius completely – effectively eliminated from the competition before it had even begun.Out Before the StartRugby Cranes fever had been building since the draw for the Championship was made on April 6. Enthusiasm quickly turned to despair, though, when it emerged Uganda was among three countries temporarily banned from entering Mauritius by authorities on the island. Travel from Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan had been restricted by the Mauritian government, according to Bettingtop10 Uganda, due to Ebola outbreaks in some parts of the wider East African region. As a result, Rugby Cranes Sevens had lost their chance to compete at a premier continental tournament before it even started.No opportunity to measure themselves against defending champions South Africa or local rivals Kenya and Zimbabwe. No chance to see how Uganda matches up against the best in Africa on their own patch. Rugby Cranes were powerless to stop it.“To be honest, it is very disappointing,” Cranes coach Geoffrey Baliki told ESPN. “We were really looking forward to this tournament. Travel restrictions are something we cannot control. All we can do is continue preparing and wait for a chance to play.” The handbrake was pulled.Delaying Africa Men’s SevensIn their statement, Mauritius Rugby Union said the decision to postpone came about due to “ongoing public health concerns,” international travel patterns, and risks associated with mass gatherings.In other words, health fears around Ebola. This was confirmed by a subsequent Rugby Africa statement, which stated that no suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola had been recorded among competing federations, officials, or tournament staff. Equally, there have been no cases of Ebola reported in Mauritius itself. Rugby Africa said it had developed extensive measures to monitor the health of all individuals involved with the tournament and manage any risk factors.“In line with our responsibilities as a sports federation, we had already developed extensive health surveillance and risk management measures for the Championship before we decided to take the advice of the Mauritian Authorities,” Rugby Africa President Herbert Mensah said.The Statement from Mauritius Rugby did not rule out Uganda competing at a future date, with Mensah adding Rugby Africa is “engaging with the relevant unions and working to find an alternative date for the championship.”Finding the Silver LiningIf and when that happens, Rugby Cranes Sevens could yet find themselves invited to take part. For now, they wait and see. Their fate in Mauritius remains unknown, but they haven’t lost the chance to compete for African glory just yet. Just like that, Uganda has gone from facing elimination from Africa Men’s Sevens to having everything to play for once more, although on hiatus.The post From Contenders to Spectators? Rugby Cranes’ Africa Men’s Sevens Dream Crashes Before It Begins appeared first on The Insider.